Biography

Dexter Gordon had such a colorful and eventful life (including three separate comebacks) that his story would make a great Hollywood movie. The top tenor saxophonist to emerge during the bop era, and possessor of his own distinctive sound, Gordon created a large body of superior work and could battle nearly anyone successfully at a jam session. His first important gig was with Lionel Hampton (1940-1943), followed by short stints with Lee Young, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, and Billy Eckstine. Gordon recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and as a leader for Savoy, Blue Note, SteepleChase, Prestige, and Columbia. ~ Scott Yanow

Top Tracks

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• A Night In Tunisia

• Affair In Havana

• As Time Goes By

• August Blues

• Back Breaker

• Blow Mr. Dexter

• Blow, Blow, Blow

• Blues Up And Down

• Body And Soul

• Bopera (disorder At The Border)

• Bopland (byas-a-drink)

• Broadway

• Cheese Cake

• Cheesecake

• Come Rain Or Come Shine

• Confirmation

• Coppin' The Haven

• Darn That Dream

• Dexter Digs In [alternate Take]

• Dexter Rides Again

• Dexter's Minor Mad

• Dexter's Mood [previously Unissued]

• Dexter's Riff

• Dextrose

• Dolo

• Easy Living

• Fried Bananas

• Gingerbread Boy

• Gotham City

• Heartaches

• Hi Fly

• I Can't Escape From You

• I Hear You Knockin'

• I Should Care

• Index [previously Unissued]

• It's Only A Paper Moon

• It's The Talk Of The Town

• It's You Or No One

• Landslide

• Le Coiffeur

• Long Tall Dexter

• Man With A Horn

• Manha De Carnaval

• Milestones

• Misty

• More Than You Know

• Move

• My Kinda Love

• Neptunus

• Perdido

• Polka Dots And Moonbeams

• Red Top

• 'round Midnight

• Ruby, My Dear

• Scrapple From The Apple

• Second Balcony Jump

• Secret Love

• Serenade In Blue

• Settin' The Pace

• Shiny Stockings

• Silver Plated

• Smile

• So Easy

• So What

• Society Red

• Some Other Spring

• Sophisticated Lady

• Soul Sister

• Stairway To The Stars

• Star Eyes

• Steeplechase

• Take The "a" Train

• Tangerine

• Tanya

• Tenderly

• The Backbone

• The Blues Walk

• The Chase

• The Duel, Pt. 1

• The Duel, Pt. 2

• The End Of A Love Affair

• The Moontrane

• The Panther

• Three O'clock In The Morning

• We See

• Wee Dot

• Willow Weep For Me

• You Stepped Out Of A Dream

• You've Changed

Discography

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• Jive Fernando

  Chiaroscuro

  1981

• Nights at the Keystone, Vol. 1

  Capitol

  1979

• Sophisticated Giant

  Legacy / Sony Music Distribution

  1979

• Great Encounters

  Wounded Bird Records

  1978

• Manhattan Symphonie

  Columbia/Legacy

  1978

• Dexter Gordon Featuring Joe Newman

  Monad

  1976

• Lullaby for a Monster

  Steeplechase

  1976

• Strings and Things

  Steeplechase

  1976

• Bouncin' with Dex

  Steeplechase

  1975

• Something Different

  Steeplechase

  1975

• Stable Mable

  SteepleChase / Steeplechase

  1975

• Swiss Nights, Vol. 3

  Steeplechase

  1975

• Swiss Nights, Vol. 2

  Steeplechase

  1975

• The Apartment

  SteepleChase / Steeplechase

  1974

• Revelation

  Steeplechase

  1974

• Blues a La Suisse

  Prestige Records

  1973

• Dexter Gordon-Sonny Grey with the Georges Arvanitas Trio

  Spotlite

  1973

• Generation

  Original Jazz Classics / Prestige/OJC

  1972

• Ca'Purange

  Original Jazz Classics

  1972

• Tangerine

  Original Jazz Classics

  1972

• The Shadow of Your Smile

  Steeplechase

  1971

• Jumpin' Blues

  Original Jazz Classics

  1970

• The Chase!

  Prestige Records

  1970

• The Panther!

  Prestige/OJC

  1970

• More Power!

  Original Jazz Classics

  1969

• Power!

  Prestige Records

  1969

• Squirrel: Live at Montmartre

  Blue Note

  1967

• Live at the Montmartre Jazzhus

  Black Lion

  1967

• After Hours

  Steeplechase / SteepleChase

  1965

• It's You or No One

  Steeplechase / SteepleChase

  1964

• Love for Sale

  Steeplechase / SteepleChase

  1964

• King Neptune

  Steeplechase

  1964

• Cheesecake

  Steeplechase / SteepleChase

  1964

• The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon

  Original Jazz Classics

  1960

• New Trends in Modern Jazz, Vol. 3

  Savoy

  1952

• Dexter Gordon Quintet

  Dial

  1950